Top tips for surviving your next house hunt

House hunting can be great fun when you first start out, but after a while of not finding the 'right one' the whole process can become very time-consuming and stressful!

However, with a bit of clever planning and forethought, you can take steps to refine your house-hunting activities to make sure your efforts are not going to waste and you can effectively narrow down your search to only include properties with genuine potential.

Let's take a look at some ways to tailor your house-hunting efforts so they are more productive:

1: Get realistic about your finances

One of the most enjoyable things about house hunting is that you get a chance to look around some amazing properties, but sometimes we can use our house hunting intentions to look around houses that in reality are out of our price range.

To save yourself a lot of time and effort make sure you are realistic about what you can afford and limit your viewings to properties within your affordable price range.

Don't ignore the cheaper end of your budget. Remember that you may want to do some work on your new home once you have moved in, so not exhausting your finances buy choosing a property at the top-end of your budget will give you some extra cash to spend on your new home.

2: Location, location, location

You can expect to pay more for a property in a desirable location, but it can be more financially savvy to buy a similar property to the one you like in an up-and-coming neighbourhood instead.

You may be able to save yourself a small fortune on buying in a neighbouring area that is on the up and in just a few short years your investment will have grown at a faster rate than the original property that you had your eye on.

3: Create a wish list

Strip your wants and desires for your next home down to a basic wish list that includes everything you practically need. Making a list that you will not compromise on can make short work of looking through the property details of houses on the market and allows you to narrow down your search much quicker.

4: Give yourself plenty of time

Despite the dream of finding your ideal property within days of your search, in real terms, it may take you a good while to find the perfect property that you know you will be happy to buy.

Try not to limit your time or put any deadlines on your house hunting activities just in case you don't find your ideal home right away. For example, if you are currently in rented accommodation then don't hand in your notice to your landlord because you fully expect to find your perfect home right away.

It may take many months of searching, so don't put yourself in a position where you don't allow yourself enough time to properly search the market or you simply buy a property because you are nearly out of time and need to vacate your rented home.

If you are currently looking for a new home, you can take a look at our listings here.